Dance of the Hunter
by ChaRose
Summary: Toga Yagari x Reader. Toga finds you alone in an empty classroom on the night of Cross Academy's Ball. You find out there's more to the Hunter than meets the eye. One-shot. Obviously not good at summaries "


**One-Shot**

It was the night of the Cross Academy Annual Ball joining both Day and Night Class students together. All teachers were expected to attend; but you don't like dancing. It reminded you of the time your dad would make you dance with him. You smile fondly at the memory.

Instead of attending the ball, you sit in an abandoned classroom at the teachers desk and grade your students work. A small frown creases your forehead as you question your students intellect whilst reading some of their answers.

Intently focusing on marking your students work, you don't hear your colleague knock on the door until his voice pulled you out of your concentration. "_!"

You gasped loudly, jumping in surprise. "Oh geez, Toga!" you exclaimed, placing a hand over your rapidly beating heart. "You scared me!"

"That was the intention." The gruff teacher smirked in amusement after receiving such a response from you. Honestly, for someone so tough, he sure can be immature. "Is there something I can do for you, Toga?" you ask pleasantly, recovering from your surprise attack. Placing your pen down, you look over at him as he walked in the classroom.

"Yeah. Can you grade my students' work? I'm not sure how much more I can take of their brainless answers. Dimwits are frying my brain cells" Yagari grumbled as he pulled up a chair and threw down his pile of paperwork on the desk. He took a seat opposite you. You arch your eyebrow disapprovingly at his lack of enthusiasm for his students, but agreed to help him nonetheless.

"I'm almost done grading my lot, anyway." You mutter as you pick your pen back up and finish grading the last of your papers.

You were quite surprised at seeing Toga in his ordinary day outfit. Slacks, dress shirt and his overcoat. It was strange not seeing him in his teachers attire of suit and tie.

You had assumed he would be at the ball, keeping a close eye on the Night Class students, in particular.

"You're not going to the ball?" you ask, trying to pry some information out of him.

"No." Came the short response. You glance up and see him reach for a random students paper and began grading. You watch at how elegantly his hand glided over the paper. A look of peace came over his usual stoic expression.

Biting your lip, surprised at the crush-like feelings, you continue to pry for information, "Are you going on another hunt?" you mentally scold yourself for asking such a stupid question. If he was going on another hunt, he would have left by now. He wouldn't be sitting here in front of you.

"You're quite fond of the personal questions, aren't you?" he half asked, half stated as he glanced up at you with a confused look in his eye.

You merely shrug. "You're not much of a conversationalist, aren't you?" you challenge back, placing your pen down and crossing your arms over your chest.

"There's nothing to talk about." He muttered as he continued to grade some dimwits paper.

"Sure this is!" you reply happily, "For instance, why aren't you going to the ball?"

"Why aren't you?" he dropped his pen and looked you in the eye, challenging you back. Well this backfired quickly. You open your mouth to say something but then quickly closed it with a mumble of "No reason."

Your arms slowly drop to the desk from being crossed against your chest. Your eyes changed from a playful challenge to appearing downcast. You reach for another students' paper, but you're stopped by Toga placing his warm, yet surprisingly gentle, hand over yours. You stare at his hand covering yours, unable to look into his eyes. "I've touched a nerve. I'm sorry." He softly apoligised to you. You look up at him to see sincerity etched on his facial features. But it was too late, you're eyes had already began watering. "No, it's okay. It's my fault." You mutter angrily as you wipe at your eyes with your free hand, Toga still holding your other one gently.

"Wanna tell me why you're not at the ball?" he asked gently, knowing there had to be a reason to that question that had upset you.

"Wanna tell me why _you're_ not at the ball?" you challenge him through playful, wet eyes.

Yagari sighed knowing he wouldn't get answers from you unless he gave some answers himself.

"Just didn't want to dance with that dimwit of a headmaster." He grumbled. His response made you giggle a little bit. And deep down, it warmed his heart to know he was able to make you smile.

"Now tell me why a woman, such as yourself, is sitting alone in an empty classroom, when she could be dancing at a ball?"

"I'm not alone. I have you." You shyly mutter, not daring to look into his eyes.

"Be that as it may, it still doesn't answer my question." He gruffly but gently told you as he urged you to answer him.

You breath in deeply as you take a minute to collect yourself of your emotions before beginning.

"The last time I danced was with my dad. I was young and didn't know the steps, so he let me stand on his feet while he stepped with the music." You smile fondly at the memory but your smile soon faltered. Toga could see this and his gently rubbed the back of your hand with his thumb in a silent comfort. "It was the last memory I had of him before he...he, um...died." you frowned to keep yourself from breaking down.

You kept your head bowed the entire time you were telling your story. And you just sat there staring at your lap, avoiding his eye contact. You had just told Toga Yagari one of your most haunted yet cherished memories.

Toga let go of your hand, and you couldn't help but feel disappointed at the loss of contact.

You heard him push his chair aside and walk away from his sit. Only to walk over to you and stop next to you. "Take my hand." He said gently, holding out his hand for you. You hesitantly place your hand in his, allowing him to pull you up from your seated position at the desk and into his arms. His fingers wrapped securely around your hands, as he wrapped his other hand protectively around your back and pulled you gently against his chest.

"For your Old Man." He murmured against your ear. You let out a small whimper and bury your head in his chest, breathing in his musky scent to calm yourself. You were so touched at his thoughtful action in memory of your dad. Not that you doubted him as a man, but it was an honour for you to be able to see Toga Yagari for who he truly was underneath his masked Hunter persona.

Slowly he moved you to the faint sound of music that wafted through the windows from the neighbouring building. "Don't let me go." You murmur, not wanting a repeat of watching your dad leaving you.

"I never plan to." Yagari whispered against your ear.

But don't let the soft side of Yagari fool you. You know that if a student were to catch him like this, he would pummel that student senseless.


End file.
